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On Sunday night, the University of Virginia placed its campus on lockdown following a shooting that sparked a manhunt for Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former member of the Cavaliers football team who was charged with the spree that claimed the lives of three people and wounded two others after being apprehended on Monday morning.
The tragedy appeared to be a targeted attack, as the three victims who lost their lives—D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr., and Devin Chandler—were active UVA football players who were returning from a field trip when Jones allegedly opened fire on their bus.
It was a dark day in Charlottesville, but when the 12-hour lockdown came to an end, plenty of students, staff members, and people from the surrounding community wasted no time banding together and honoring the men with the banner, shrines, and other memorials that immediately popped up around campus.
That flood of tributes included the incredible show of solidarity that took place on Monday night when thousands of people flocked to the South Lawn to take part in a silent vigil that brought some much-needed light to campus.
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) November 15, 2022
Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated shared some fairly stunning footage highlighting the solemn nature of the gathering, as the many, many people who came together remained virtually silent over the course of a memorial that culminated with attendees placing hundreds of candles on the steps outside Old Cabell Hall.
Silence. pic.twitter.com/ziWj7yGHmY
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 15, 2022
Mourners show support by leaving candles before members of the Virginia football team who are seated on the steps of Old Calbell Hall. pic.twitter.com/OMBLYWIyqY
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 15, 2022
Stay strong, UVA.